BofA card auto-unsecured; no CLI

core · ‎05-29-2015

My BofA 99/500 secured card auto-unsecured after 10-11 months. From reading posts here, I was expecting a 2x CLI. My next statement arrived and they didn't come through with the goods.

Does it take a few months for the automatic CLI, or am I out of luck? I don't really need a CLI, and it's their card so they can do whatever they want. I can get by with a $500 limit by pushing payments, but it does look rather silly on my reports I would think. My usage was always pretty decent; I would always spend 1x-2x my CL each month. They can't have a problem with my scores. It's not worth a hard pull so I won't be calling them to request a CLI. I was just curious what might happen in the next few months.

The card is barely worth keeping, but I like getting 2.2% at grocery-coded Walmarts vs 2% with Fidelity Amex or Citi DC. If anyone knows of a better card to use for Walmart please let me know and then I can close BofA.

I guess I forgot about the $39 annual fee until just now. Maybe it's not worth keeping at all. How would I go about getting the annual fee removed? Do they have an EO or can regular customer service do this?

newhis · ‎05-29-2015

To get my AF removed I had to contact them several times, secure message, chat, regular line, credit analyst, senior analyst until they were able to remove the AF.

DW was able to reduce APR to 14.9% and remove the AF in a single call to the Spanish analyst list (you can see the backdoor numbers thread here ). Good luck.

Sometimes they don't increase the limit, sorry that they didn't increase your limit. They HP you if you request it. Better to work to lower your APR and remove AF.

core · ‎05-29-2015

@newhis wrote:
To get my AF removed I had to contact them several times, secure message, chat, regular line, credit analyst, senior analyst until they were able to remove the AF.

Thanks. This sounds like it's going to be more of a pain than it's worth. I'll try 2 calls. That's about all I have the patience for, for this card. I won't be bothering them about the APR though because I would never ever carry a balance. (Perhaps that's why they didn't give me a CLI.)

I just calculated that I'd need to spend nearly $20k at Walmart in a year to make up for the annual fee. Otherwise I'm better off just using the Fido Amex. I think this card's just getting closed, or maybe it might be possible to PC to a BBR without an AF? That's $100 a year free, which is better than losing money.

newhis · ‎05-29-2015

Go directly to senior analyst then, good luck.

I read reports that PC to BBR is no longer possible, I think they changed policy September 2014.

I don't have a 2% card so I'm going to PC to Travel Rewards. I do use Bankamerideals so I get extra 5%-15% sometimes.

wmweeza · ‎05-29-2015

Here's what happened to mine:

1 year mark, unsecured

4 months later a cli, $500

4 months after that another CLI months after that, yup,$500.. another CLI...all of these were auto ( I think I got 4 of these total of $500 each every few months)

At about almost the 2 year mark I got a letter in the mail "Since you've been managing your credit so well we are permanently waiving your AF" (I'm paraphrasing but that's close.)

Then I finally requested my CLI to $5400, requesting a CLI stopped all further auto CLI's since but I love the card.

Not all BofA customers get a CLI when it unsecures, but they've been good to me

Last App 10/14. FICO's: AMEX Ex 846, BarclayTU08 815.FAKOs:CreditKarma 775,CS score 771.BofA 5400,Target $5000,Barnes $8500,Amex $22k

Anonymous · ‎05-31-2015

Call them. It will be a hard pull though. based on what you already have in limits on your others and your score may just want to wait for a possible auto increase

newhis · ‎05-31-2015

For your question about WalMart groceries, my DW bought somethings at a Walmart near our home with Sallie Mae and she got 5% back. The card is limited for $250 a month, but is better than 2.2%

core · ‎06-01-2015

@newhis wrote:
For your question about WalMart groceries, my DW bought somethings at a Walmart near our home with Sallie Mae and she got 5% back. The card is limited for $250 a month, but is better than 2.2%

Unfortunately Barclays refuses to allow customers from my state, so the Sallie Mae is out.

You know though, thinking back I seem to remember a post from Themanwhocan that mentioned a 5% grocery card from some obscure credit union. It might have been a rotating categories type of deal but that would still be better than nothing. I'll have to look into that before my next round of apps next week.